The Edge of the Empire: A Journey to Britannia: From the Heart of Rome to Hadrian’s Wall by Bronwen Riley

“AD 130. Rome is the dazzling heart of a vast empire and Hadrian its most complex and compelling ruler. Faraway Britannia is one of the Romans’ most troublesome provinces. . . . ‘What awaits the traveller to Britannia? How will you get there? What do you need to pack? What language will you speak? How does London compare to Rome? Are there any tourist attractions? And what dangers lurk behind Hadrian’s new Wall? Combining an extensive range of Greek and Latin sources with a sound understanding of archaeology, Bronwen Riley describes an epic journey from Rome to Hadrian’s Wall at the empire’s northwestern frontier. In this strikingly original history of Roman Britain, she evokes the smells, sounds, colors, and sensations of life in the second century.’”

For those who like to plan ahead, the book for January 18 will bring us back to our own home territory, but we will view it from a very different and challenging perspective. The book is Our America: A Hispanic History of the UnitedStates by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto. The New York Times reviewer called it “a rich and moving chronicle for our very present.”